La Grange man arrested after allegedly assaulting employee

A La Grange man was arrested earlier this week for allegedly assaulting one of his employees.

On Monday, investigators with the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office Detective Division arrested Kelton Sutton, 66, of 3677 Frank Barwick Road, La Grange. He was charged with assault by strangulation, assault inflicting serious bodily injury and kidnapping. All three are felony charges.

The LCSO investigation started after the alleged victim, which The Free Press is choosing not to name, reported she had been assaulted by her employer while she was at his residence while working in La Grange. The alleged victim reported she had been struck by Sutton during an altercation inside the home while she was caring for a family member of Sutton’s.

The alleged victim was treated at Lenoir Memorial Hospital and later transferred to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville for further treatment for injuries sustained during the assault. Based upon information gathered during the investigation, the victim's injuries met the criteria to establish “serious bodily injury” under North Carolina General Statutes.

“Our criminal detectives have worked hard to build this case and to try and understand why this incident occurred,” stated Lenoir County Sheriff Chris Hill. “It appears that this is a case of someone becoming very frustrated and then losing control, which resulted in the injury of (the victim).”